This week, Carnegie Mellon University hosted the MS AI Venture Studio - Investor Day, designed to connect the dots between AI innovation and investment. Orchestrated by MS AI Venture Studio Professors Adam Paulisick and Sean Ammirati, and SkillBuilder.io Cofounder, Kit Mueller, the event showcased the burgeoning potential within Pittsburgh's growing AI community, drawing hundreds of founders, investors, researchers, faculty, and community leaders.
The Core of Innovation: MS AI Venture Studio Team Pitches
Central to the day's agenda were the pitches from the MS AI Venture Studio cohort teams. Eleven teams presented their bleeding-edge projects, demonstrating applications of AI that span from transforming how architects buy materials, digital product management happens at large organizations, removing bias from data to help retailers personalize their experiences, creating digital fashion models, generating bi-lingual books, and innovating within sports media among other ventures. These presentations not only highlighted the technical prowess of CMU’s students but also their ability to translate complex AI technologies into market-ready solutions that create demonstrable business value.
Adam Paulisick, one of the event's key organizers, reflected on the significance of these pitches: "Today, a diverse group of founders started to distribute the future more evenly when they showcased a variety of AI-powered ventures. Each team brought something unique to the table, illustrating just how transformative AI can be across different industries. We are grateful for the hundreds of people that came throughout the day to support and the 30+ investors that spent time with new and serial entrepreneurs across the Carnegie Mellon campus"
Fostering Connections: From Open Coffee to One-on-One Investor Meetings
The day began with the Open Coffee - AI Edition in Simmons Auditorium, a community networking session among hundreds of students, founders, investors, researchers, faculty, and community leaders that set a collaborative tone for the event.
This was followed by 90+ curated one-on-one meetings between AI startup founders from across the region and top funds from across the country including Ardent Venture Partners, Black Tech Nation Ventures, BlueTree Capital, Blumberg Capital, Drive Capital, Hyde Park Ventures, IgniteXL Ventures, Innovation Works, Magarac Venture Partners, Menlo Ventures, MetaProp, Reach Ventures, StartFast Ventures, and more. These interactions were crucial for founders seeking funding and strategic advice and helpful for funders looking to support their growth.
Insights and Engagements: Investor Lunch and Exclusive Tours
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7b039bdd-8b1e-4e13-88e0-09689239a9af_1333x1000.jpeg)
A midday investor lunch featured discussions on the latest trends in AI and human-centered design, providing deeper insights into the evolving landscape of AI technologies. Post-lunch, investors were treated to an exclusive tour of CMU’s state-of-the-art AI and robotics research facilities, including the J.P. Morgan AI Maker Space.
Evening Reflections: Reception and Continued Collaborations
As the sounds of CMU's bagpipes & drums band filled the lower hall for student convocations, attendees convened in the Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship’s reception that allowed for further networking and reflection on the day’s events, reinforcing the connections made and discussions held throughout the day.
![](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fda989cd5-6a20-49cb-acfa-d732052cc9ab_1333x1000.jpeg)
Sean Ammirati, another lead organizer, commented on the day's impact: "The energy today was palpable for both investors and entrepreneurs. It's clear that when brilliant minds converge with impactful ideas, the potential for innovation is limitless. Today was not just about hosting an event; it was a preview of the interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary future using AI to make the world a better and more interesting place."
The CMU AI Investor Day was a showcase of the vibrant potential of Pittsburgh’s AI ecosystem and a testament to CMU’s role as a leader in all aspects of AI. As the city continues to emerge as a global center for AI innovation, events like the MS AI Venture Studio’s Investor Day play a key role in fostering more advancements and stronger connections in the space.
Thanks for the invitation to join! Our CEO, John F Kalafut, PhD of Asher Orion Group was able to join and get into the weeds and fall down the rabbit hole of AI and machine learning. It is important that we help both investors and funders distinguish between hype, hope, and reality.